Oct. 15—GRAND FORKS — As the UND football team approaches the most important section of the 2026 schedule, the Herald took questions from readers for the latest edition of a mailbag.
UND football beat writer Tom Miller answers your questions below.
Q. Do you think UND will shift to a more run-focused offense on Saturday? Any chance Danny Freund will throw out temporary offensive schemes if Jerry Kaminski is out?
A. If Javance Tupou'ata-Johnson starts at quarterback against SDSU, UND will undoubtedly have to be more run-heavy and utilize that skill set. However, UND will have to balance that everyone knows the quarterback run will be coming. Tupou'ata-Johnson also throws a good deep ball, so the Hawks need to pick some spots to try to stretch the defense.
Q. Are there any players that haven't necessarily made an impact the first seven games that you see take a step forward on the back end of the schedule?
A. That's a good question. I think UND is getting true freshman wide receiver Delvin Cook Jr. closer to being utilized. The staff is high on his future, but there are also limited opportunities with Korey Tai and Cameron Weir playing a lot of snaps.
Q. Will 2-3 down the stretch be enough to make the playoffs?
A. It depends who the wins are against and if they are playoff-level opponents. Could it come down to whether Illinois State is considered a playoff team? UND's resume could be questioned with all those wins against low-tier FCS programs.
Q. Realignment is constantly talked about. Currently, SDSU and the Montanas and maybe even some USD are sprinkled into conversations about moving up. Where do you see UND in the next 5 years and with who?
A. UND needs to lock arms with the South Dakotas and possibly the Montanas when it comes to the future. The concern over the stability of the Summit League is a valid worry and should accelerate UND's urgency about making sure these programs are on the same page.
Q. Why does the veteran offensive line struggle to get a consistent push up front in the running game?
A. The offensive line has just been okay, which has been a surprise. On the other hand, if there were expectations that this offensive line would look like those North Dakota State and South Dakota State lines ... everyone needs to remember the amount of NFL talent on those units. UND is not at that mark yet. I also wonder if a full season of tight ends Haydn Stay and Hunter Kallstrom make the running lanes look different. UND needs those two to get and/or stay healthy.
Q. What do you feel like this team is needing to get back to having some edge and being nasty?
A. I'm just not sure if that's a switch that is flipped. I think UND needs to continue to find that personality in recruiting and developing. I think some, including myself, under-valued the swagger of 2025 standouts Malachi McNeal and Zach Lewis.
Q. Is Lance Rucker playing this week? Snap count?
A. I think UND's All-American returns against the Jackrabbits, but I'd be surprised if he looks like Tennessee Tech Rucker right away. I think it's going to take some time to get back to form. I assume UND will be selective with how much Rucker plays in his return.
Q. Other than QB, what position is most exposed and at high risk if an injury would occur right now?
A. UND's linebacker depth is the biggest concern. The ability for Ethan Boll and Mike Devereaux to play every game has hidden the issue there. UND is still working at getting Nate Appleget up to speed and the return of Jake Starcevic from injury soon will be a benefit to that group. This year was always going to be a challenging gap year at linebacker, where the Hawks are very young.
Q. What are the chances the fifth year players lose approval?
A. Avery Scott already wasn't in Cedar Falls, and I think there's legitimate concern Jonnie Wiltshire and Jy Martin would receive similar fate. Wiltshire and Martin were practicing on Wednesday, though. The Hawks are likely thinking through scenarios to lose those two at any point here.
Q. Does SDSU have the same defensive coordinator they had when Freund was there?
A. I believe it's a different coordinator, but I asked Danny Freund on Monday if it's the same scheme, and he said it's the same coaching tree so it's likely quite similar to his time in Brookings.
Q. What changes did UND make on defense to sure things up so well last week against a better team and on the road than what we had seen the previous weeks against lesser offenses?
A. I think UND found a confidence and were better on plays down the field. Corner Ben Kamara is healthy again and has been really solid, while Grant Tylutki seems to be more comfortable at safety after moving over from nickel. I also think Northern Iowa lacks some offensive juice, so I'm not willing to fully commit to UND's turning of a corner.
Q. Is Avery Dixon back soon?
A. I was surprised the safety wasn't in Cedar Falls. I think he plays against South Dakota State.
Q. How long will Schmidt/Freund stick with Javance on Saturday if things aren't happening for the offense? Can Sulik give the offense a boost?
A. I think the staff will give JTJ the full game against the Jacks. Jack Sulik doesn't have the running skill set and would require a different game plan. True freshman Brooks Hendrickson has also been exclusively with the scout team this season, so throwing him out there wouldn't be fair, either.
Q. Looking back at the schedule, should there have been more red flags about this schedule of playing multiple teams coming off bye and UND not getting its bye until the end of the year?
A. That was an angle I probably didn't cover enough. I didn't realize UND would see so many teams coming off a bye. The entire schedule isn't ideal, although some of that is a result of North Dakota State bolting the league late in the process and the MVFC scrambling to piece everything together.